[This post is a copy of the Dragon Tales newsletter sent 10/22. Sign up on this page to receive Dragon Tales in email.]

This Thursday at 5:30pm, it’s “Fall into Literacy and Fun!”

Also known as “Fall Harvest Festival” and “Literacy Night,” this is a great chance to hang out with other parents and staff, take a dance lesson with Coach T, eat free banh mi sandwiches (from the delicious Lan Hue), create some pumpkin art, and find cool ways to inspire your child to read—including a book giveaway!

We put out the call a little while back when the Lowell Food Pantry refrigerator had apparently given up the ghost—and now we’ve got a brand new one, the H.M.S. Frigidaire, pictured below humming away in the cafeteria!

Thank you to everyone who scrambled to find a fridge and look for alternate solutions—and a GIANT THANK-YOU to donor Kathy Cochran, who stepped up and got this beautiful new fridge.

If you’re not familiar with the Food Pantry, this is an ongoing program at Lowell, operated in partnership with the University District Food Bank. Each Friday, volunteers meet in the Lowell cafeteria after the start of school and help distribute weekend-meal bags for Lowell kids. Since over 60% of our students receive free or reduced cost lunch, and approximately a third are housing-insecure (living in shelters or other temporary housing), the Food Pantry is hugely important to us. For some of our kids, these food bags are their only reliable food over the weekend.

When you’re talking to people outside of our school community, it often helps to have some quick facts about Lowell.

Our school has changed a lot in the last few years—it now *is* the downtown elementary school, with approximately a third of our kids living in homeless shelters or transitional housing (although that number fluctuates, given the instability of that population). Feel free to share this flier anywhere to help inspire support for Lowell.

[This post is a copy of the Dragon Tales newsletter sent 10/15. Sign up on this page to receive Dragon Tales in email.]

Time to say cheese!

Don’t forget: Student pictures are this week! Monday (10/16) for pre-K and special ed, Tuesday (10/17) for the rest of K–5. If you haven’t received a picture packet, you should receive it Monday, or you can get one from the office.

A lot of families have asked about today’s DeVos counter rally that many of our teachers and members plan to attend. It’s happening in Bellevue at 5pm today (Friday) outside the Hyatt Regency. Here is the latest Seattle Times coverage.

The Washington Education Association is organizing free buses to the event, leaving from Roosevelt, Chief Sealth, and Rainier Beach high schools. Sign up here if you’re hoping to take one of those. The buses will start leaving at 3:30 as they fill up. (Familes are welcome and encouraged to take the buses, just put “Parent” where it says “Position” on the form.) Wear red if you have it!

If you have more questions about the event, read on to see the latest event flier from the Equity in Education Coalition.

If you were at the General Meeting last week, you know that our PTA membership voted to formally endorse the Housing for All Platform, created by a coalition that is working to address homelessness in Seattle.

With approximately a third of our students housing insecure (i.e., living in shelters or other temporary housing), this is a hugely important issue to our community. We joined many fellow endorsers, incuding the PTAs of McGilvra and Stevens.

Update: These rules and budget passed at the general meeting on Oct 4.

Each year our PTA is required to approve our “Standing Rules” and Budget at the first general meeting. Typically, each year, amendments are made to the previous year’s standing rules rules, and a new budget is made. A rules committee and budget committee, appointed by the full board, created this year’s proposed Standing Rules and proposed budget. The proposed standing rules and budget are just that; a proposal. They don’t become official until voted on at a general meeting. The proposed rules are very similar to last year’s with the substantive changes being highlighted in the “Standing Rules Explainer”. You will have an opportunity to bring up questions or concerns at the meeting, or feel free to reach out to us sooner.Continue reading “Draft Standing Rules and Budget 2017/18″→

[This post is a copy of the Dragon Tales newsletter sent 10/1. Sign up on this page to receive Dragon Tales in email.]

Hello, October!

It’s been a lively first month for our Lowell community. Thanks to everyone who came out for the packed Curriculum Night and “Dine Out”! (And many, many thanks to Coastal Kitchen for helping us have a successful first fund-raiser.)

PTA General Meeting on Wednesday, October 4, 6–7:30pm (free food and childcare!)

The Parents At Lowell School PTA is a great way to get involved with your school and meet fellow parents. Come to the General Meeting and you can hear all about upcoming events, fundraisers, the annual budget, and ways you can pitch in.

If you’re curious and want to learn more, join us in the Lowell cafeteria. You don’t have to be a member to attend. Free food and childcare available.

It was a full house at Coastal Kitchen Wednesday night, thank you to everyone who came out and helped contribute to a fun event! (And special thanks to Toi Sennhauser, who volunteered her time to make many kids happy with face-painted guineau pigs, carrots, Magic: The Gathering creatures, etc.)

We’re hoping to have more “Dine Out” events this year—so if you couldn’t make it this time, you’ll have more chances. And if you have a favorite restaurant who you think might be interested, feel free to ask them or let us know!